Qutb Minar is a 72.5-metre sandstone tower in Mehrauli, Delhi, and the tallest tower of its kind in India. Qutb-ud-din Aibak laid its foundation in AD 1199, and later Delhi Sultans finished and repaired it over the next few centuries. It is historically important as one of the earliest and finest monuments of Indo-Islamic architecture, and it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.
Qutb Minar stands at the heart of the Qutb complex, which also holds the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, the Iron Pillar and several tombs. This guide covers who built the tower, how tall it is, how it changed over time, and how to visit.
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History of Qutub Minar: Who Built It and When
The tower was built in stages by different rulers, and each stage is still visible in its stonework. The sequence is simple:
1. Qutb-ud-din Aibak (AD 1199)
Qutb-ud-din Aibak, founder of the Mamluk (Slave) dynasty in Delhi, laid the foundation of the minar in AD 1199. According to ASI, it was meant for the mu'azzin to give the call to prayer. Aibak raised only the first storey. Many historians also see the tower as a victory tower, marking the start of Turkish rule in northern India, and describe it as inspired by the tower at Ghazni in Afghanistan.
2. Iltutmish (AD 1211-36)
Aibak's successor and son-in-law, Shams-ud-din Iltutmish, added three more storeys. This brought the tower to four storeys and gave it most of its height.
3. Later repairs and additions
Later rulers and engineers repaired the tower after damage. Inscriptions on the minar record the main repairs:
- Firuz Shah Tughlaq (AD 1351-88): repaired the tower and rebuilt its upper part after lightning struck it in 1368. This is the marble and sandstone section that gives the top of the tower its different look.
- Sikandar Lodi (AD 1489-1517): repaired the tower after earthquake damage in 1505.
- Major R. Smith (1829): repaired and restored the tower after the 1803 earthquake and added a cupola. The cupola was removed in 1848 on the orders of the Governor General, Viscount Hardinge, and now stands on the ground to the east of the tower.
The origin of the name is debated. Some historians say it honours Qutb-ud-din Aibak. Others say it honours the Sufi saint Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki of the Chishti Order.
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Height of Qutub Minar and Key Dimensions
How tall is Qutb Minar?
The height of Qutb Minar is 72.5 metres (about 238 feet). It tapers from a base diameter of 14.32 metres to about 2.75 metres at the top. The shaft leans very slightly, starting about 65 centimetres above the ground.
Storeys and materials
The tower has five storeys, and each one is ringed by a projecting balcony. The first three storeys are red sandstone. The fourth and fifth are marble and sandstone. The balconies rest on stone brackets carved in a honeycomb pattern (muqarnas), most clearly seen on the first storey. Inside, a spiral staircase of 379 steps leads to the top.
The style changes visibly from Aibak's storey to the Tughlaq additions, because the materials and decoration differ from one stage to the next.
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Inscriptions
Bands of Arabic and Nagari inscriptions run around the tower. They include verses from the Qur'an and records of the tower's history and repairs.
Design and influences
Qutb Minar draws on West and Central Asian minaret traditions, but local building traditions shaped it too. Indian craftsmen worked under the supervision of Muslim architects, and the choice of materials, carving and construction methods reflect that mix. Ved Parkash has called it the "earliest and best example of a fusion or synthesis of Hindu-Muslim traditions". Elizabeth Lambourn's research in Islam Beyond Empires: Mosques and Islamic Landscapes in India and the Indian Ocean places it in the wider spread of Islam across South Asia and the Indian Ocean world.
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The Qutb Complex Around the Minar
The minar is the centrepiece of a larger archaeological area in Mehrauli. The main monuments are:
- Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque: the oldest mosque in northern India, at the north-east of the minar. Aibak began it in 1193. Iltutmish and Alau'd-Din Khalji later enlarged it and added a lofty arched screen. Many of its carved pillars were reused from earlier temples, which an inscription over the eastern gate records.
- Iron Pillar of Delhi: a rust-resistant iron column about 7 metres tall, inscribed in Sanskrit in Brahmi script. ASI dates the inscription to the fourth century AD and says the pillar was set up as a Vishnudhvaja (standard of the god Vishnu). It is much older than the minar and was moved to the courtyard. Visitors still try to stand with their back to it and clasp it with both hands to make a wish.
- Alai Darwaza (1311): the gateway built by Alau'd-Din Khalji, admired as a masterpiece of Indo-Muslim art.
- Alai Minar: Alau'd-Din Khalji planned it to be twice the size of Qutb Minar but completed only the first storey, which stands about 25 metres tall today.
- Other monuments: the Tomb of Iltutmish, the Alauddin Madrasa and Tomb, the Tomb of Imam Zamin, Sanderson's Sundial and Major Smith's Cupola.
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Delhi Qutub Minar: Timings, Tickets and Visitor Information
Timings
The Qutb complex in Mehrauli, Delhi, is open every day of the week, from sunrise to sunset. In practice this is usually 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Timings can change, so check the notice board at the gate or the ASI site before you go.
Entry fees
- Indian citizens and SAARC/BIMSTEC visitors: ₹35 online, ₹40 at the counter
- Foreign visitors: ₹550 online, ₹600 at the counter
- Children under 15: free
Tickets are sold at the entrance counter and through the official ASI ticketing portal. Fees are revised from time to time, so confirm the current rate on the ASI portal before you travel.
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Visitor details
- Climbing the tower: the interior staircase is closed to the public. It was closed after an accident on 4 December 1981 that killed 45 people, and you can view the tower from outside only.
- Getting there: Qutub Minar Metro station is on the Yellow Line.
- Best time: October to March, early morning or late afternoon, when the weather is cooler and the crowds are smaller.
- Qutb Festival: the complex hosts an annual multi-day festival of music and dance, usually in October or November.
- Gardens: the grounds around the minar are landscaped, and many visitors relax there and photograph the tower.
Legacy and Protection
Qutb Minar and its Monuments was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. The complex is owned by the Government of India and managed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) under the ancient monuments laws and an annual conservation and development plan. The surrounding area is managed together with the Delhi Development Authority, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Government of NCT of Delhi.
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UNESCO notes that the site remains largely authentic in its location, forms, materials and design, and that conservation work on it is reversible.
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